1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical box covers and more particularly to electrical box covers which cover outside electrical boxes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
All outside electrical boxes need a box cover which provides a weatherproof seal and protects the electrical elements carried within the box from grit, moisture and other elements, and also provides access to the electrical receptacle. While many prior art box covers successfully accomplish these objectives, they are time-consuming and expensive to install and are not structurally stable. They also tend to be of a rather complex construction and expensive to manufacture. Moreover, prior art box covers are designed to fit only specially-designed electrical boxes.
Most prior art electrical box covers which are used with outside electrical boxes are rectangular in shape and require complementary-shaped rectangular boxes. These boxes are most commonly of a single gang or double gang type. Typically, with the original electrical wiring already in place, the outer surface layers of the building or house, most typically wood sheathing and siding, are fastened to the wall studs. The electrical box and box cover are then installed by first determining the general location of the lead wires behind the outer wall material and then cutting away a section of the wall material corresponding to the perimeter of the box. With a rectangular or square electrical box, this involves accurately measuring and etching four lines on the outer wall surface and then using a keyhole saw, jigsaw or the like to cut out the section. This is time consuming and, therefore, expensive. Moreover, even with accurate measurement, the cutting process itself can be inaccurate. If the section is cut too small, the box will not fit and additional cutting will be necessary. And if the section is cut too large, the box cover may not overlap the excess portion cut away, leaving an unattractive gap in the siding. The use of a keyhole saw jigsaw also frequently results in unattractive overcuts which are still visible once the box and box cover are installed. Moreover, most keyhole saws and jigsaws have braces which rest on the surface of the siding to minimize vibration and, as a result, tend to mar or gouge the surface of the siding during the cutting.
Electrical boxes and box covers of this type are also not structurally stable since the box cover is normally secured to the electrical receptacle mounted within the box by a single screw. The cover is thus capable of rotating relative to the box if the screw becomes loose.
A few of these problems are overcome by the Stas U.S. Pat. No. 2,996,566, and Meyers U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,573, both of which disclose round electrical boxes and box covers. The Stas box cover is used with a floor-type outlet box and has a resilient gasket which provides a watertight seal between the box cover and box. However, one of the problems with the Stas cover is that it can only be used with an electrical box which is specially designed to accommodate it. The cover will only fit a box that has a complementary-shaped annular recess and shoulder. Moreover, since the box cover is mounted flush with the floor surface and has a seal disposed below such surface, water can seep through the crack surrounding the cover and collect above the seal. Additionally, the cover appears to be time-consuming to install and expensive to manufacture, since it requires a supporting gasket, brass plate, fiber washer and annular shoulder.
The Myers box cover not only provides a watertight seal between the box cover and box, it retains the electrical receptacle as well. It is much easier to install than the Stas box cover since it is threaded and can be screwed into the electrical box. However, it is also expensive to manufacture and can only be used with a specially-designed electrical box. Furthermore, its construction is rather complicated and involves the assembly of some eight components.
Accordingly, there is a need for a box cover which can be easily and quickly installed, is structurally stable and can be used with round and rectangular electrical boxes of different sizes.